Firefighting or rescue apparatus including an extendable crosslay hose bed

Abstract

A firefighting or rescue apparatus includes an extendable crosslay hose bed which facilitates access to the crosslay bed for loading and pulling flexible fire hose. The bed is mounted to a frame, generally behind the cab of the apparatus, which can be a fire truck. The bed includes a moveable tray extending laterally, across a width of the truck. The tray can be oriented generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the truck as well. The tray and/or an optional underlying support frame can be coupled to a power unit adapted to extend and retract the support frame and moveable tray from stored position to a deployed position. A control can be in communication with the power unit and operable by a user to control movement of the tray from the stored position to the deployed position.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A firefighting apparatus comprising:
 a frame configured to enable transportation of the apparatus to an emergency location, the frame including a forward portion, a rearward portion, a left side and a right side opposite the left side, and a rear axle mounted to the frame in the rearward portion, the frame having a side to side width and including a longitudinal axis extending from the forward portion toward the rearward portion; 
 a tray mounted to the frame, the tray moveable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and transverse to a vertical axis from a stored position to a deployed position in which the tray extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame and outwardly from at least one of the left side and the right side of the frame, distal from the rearward portion of the frame, the tray including a floor adapted to support flexible fire hose folded over upon itself a plurality of times and oriented in at least one stack, the tray including a lower surface; 
 a waterway located below the lower surface of the tray and mounted under and joined with the tray, the waterway constructed from a first tube and a second tube telescopingly joined with one another so that the waterway can increase in length when the tray is moved from the stored position to the deployed position, the waterway adapted to convey firefighting fluid therethrough; 
 a control configured to control movement of the tray; 
 wherein the control is operable by a user to move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position, 
 whereby in the deployed position the user can load the fire hose onto the tray. 
 
     
     
       2. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tray defines an aperture, wherein a connector is disposed through the aperture and connects the waterway to the fire hose, wherein the aperture and the connector are disposed on a distal end of the tray such that when the tray is moved to the deployed position, the aperture and the connector are laterally spaced from at least one of the left side and the right side of the frame. 
     
     
       3. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the tray includes opposing sides and an upwardly standing divider wall positioned between the opposing sides of the tray, the divider wall adapted to segregate a first stack of fire hose from a second stack of fire hose. 
     
     
       4. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tray includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, the first and second sidewalls being joined with the floor of the tray. 
     
     
       5. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the tray includes an outwardly facing vertical panel, the panel being perpendicular to the first and second sidewalls and extending downward from the lower surface of the tray. 
     
     
       6. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the control is mounted on the frame. 
     
     
       7. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a power unit joined with the tray and configured to move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position,
 wherein the control is in communication with the power unit for operation of the power unit, 
 wherein the control is remote from the tray. 
 
     
     
       8. A firefighting apparatus comprising:
 a mobile frame including a forward portion and a rearward portion, a rear axle located in the rearward portion, and a left side and a right side opposite the left side, the frame including a longitudinal axis extending from the forward portion toward the rearward; 
 a tray mounted to the frame, the tray including a tray axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, the tray moveable along the tray axis in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and transverse to a vertical axis from a stored position to a deployed position in which the tray extends laterally, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame and outwardly from at least one of the left side and the right side of the frame, distal from the rearward portion of the frame, and between a front axle and the rear axle, 
 a plurality of stacks of flexible fire hose folded over upon itself, the plurality of stacks of flexible fire hose disposed on the tray; 
 a power unit joined with the tray and configured to move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position with the plurality of stacks of flexible fire hose on the tray; 
 a control in communication with the power unit for operation of the power unit; and 
 a waterway located below a lower surface of the tray and mounted under and joined with the tray, the waterway constructed from a first, self-supporting, elongated tube and a second, self-supporting, elongated tube telescopingly joined with one another so that the waterway can increase in length when the tray is moved from the stored position to the deployed position, the waterway adapted to convey firefighting fluid therethrough, 
 wherein the control is operable by a user to move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position, 
 whereby in the deployed position the user can load the fire hose onto the tray. 
 
     
     
       9. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the tray includes a horizontal floor, a first vertical sidewall and a second vertical sidewall opposite the first vertical sidewall, and a divider extending upward from the floor between the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
       10. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 8  comprising a connector joined with the waterway and the fire hose so that the waterway and the fire hose are in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
       11. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the tray includes a horizontal floor and an aperture in the floor, wherein the connector extends through the aperture, wherein the aperture and the connector are disposed on a distal end of the tray such that when the tray is moved to the deployed position, the aperture and the connector are spaced from at least one of the left side and the right side of the frame. 
     
     
       12. A firefighting apparatus comprising:
 a frame including a plurality of wheels configured to enable transportation of the apparatus to an emergency location, the frame including a forward portion having a cab for housing at least one occupant of the apparatus, a rearward portion located rearward of the cab, a left side and a right side opposite the left side, the frame including at least one rear axle mounted to the frame in the rearward portion, the frame having a side to side width and including a longitudinal axis extending from the forward portion toward the rearward portion; 
 a compartment defined by the frame forward of the rear axle, behind the cab, the compartment disposed laterally across at least a portion of the width of the frame and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame; 
 a tray mounted in the compartment, the tray moveable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and transverse to a vertical axis from a stored position in which the tray is located substantially in the compartment, to a deployed position in which the tray extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame and outwardly from at least one of the left side and the right side of the frame a preselected distance, the tray including an upper surface that forms a floor adapted to support flexible fire hose folded over upon itself a plurality of times and oriented in at least one stack, the tray including a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the tray including a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, the first and second sidewalls being joined with the floor of the tray; 
 a waterway including a water outlet, the waterway located below the lower surface of the tray and mounted under and joined with the tray, the water outlet adapted to join with the fire hose, the waterway constructed from a first, elongated tube and a second elongated tube, the first and second tubes telescopingly joined with one another so that the waterway can increase in length when the tray is moved from the stored position to the deployed position, but still convey firefighting fluid therethrough; 
 a pump mounted to the frame and adapted to pump firefighting fluid to the waterway; 
 a power unit joined with the tray and configured to move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position; 
 a control in communication with the power unit for operation of the power unit, 
 wherein the control is operable by a user to actuate the power unit and move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position, 
 whereby in the deployed position the user can load fire hose onto the tray. 
 
     
     
       13. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the tray is moveable along a tray axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       14. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the power unit is a motor, 
 wherein the motor is joined with a chain operably connected to the tray, the chain being selectively driven by the motor to move the tray from the stored position to the deployed position. 
 
     
     
       15. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 12  comprising a support frame mounted to the tray, the support frame constructed from a plurality of members that structurally reinforce and support the tray. 
     
     
       16. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 15  comprising a channel operably engaged to the support frame and at least one roller joined with the support frame, the roller being rollingly disposed in relation to the channel to assist in guiding the tray from the stored position to the deployed position. 
     
     
       17. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the power unit is a hydraulic unit adapted to move the tray. 
     
     
       18. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 12  comprising a panel joined with the tray, the panel facing outward from the tray and physically accessible from a side of the frame. 
     
     
       19. The firefighting apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the control is mounted to the firefighting apparatus such that a user can operate the control while the tray is in the stored position to move the tray to the deployed position.